Dear Joanna,

I just retired from my career that spanned over 25 years. I miss my job, I miss the people at my former workplace, I miss the money, and I miss the action. Even though I have countless hobbies and interests, I would like to get back into the buzz and excitement of the working world. What should I do?

Signed: Not Ready to Retire (NRR)

Dear NRR

“There are many ways to leverage your passion and experience into a rewarding post-retirement career”, says Kira Botkin , in her excellent piece of this topic; she offers the following advice that demonstrates that “retirement can provide the opportunity to train for a new, exciting job or volunteer position with minimal time investment.”:

Work for Your Former Employer

Since you enjoyed your previous work so much, call up your former boss to see about working part-time. You definitely sound like a valuable employee so it may be worth the call. This will allow you to renew contact with old co-workers and continue a job that you always enjoyed – but now according to your schedule.

Work as a Consultant

Research the skill shortages and which experience in needed in your field. Consider offering your services to employers as a consultant. If you have certain degrees, education or specialized experience, consider a career in consulting. Consultants can leverage their years of expertise, training and connections, and set their hours to avoid a full-time workload. As soon as you begin working as a contractor or a consultant, start to think of ways to find more work once your current assignment ends. Taking on short-term or part-time jobs can expand your network of professional contacts, which may help you find work in the future.

Start your own business

Many retirees opt to open their own retail business. If you have a large collection of any kind, an attic full of dusty antiques, or boxes of books you no longer read, you may have the initial inventory needed to start your own retail business. Consider starting an online business. Register, sell and advertise your items or services on sites like eBay, Kijiji or Craigslist. Some retirees rent a booth at the local flea market. These new businesses have low overhead. You can also start a website to advertise your services, and utilize social media to promote your business.

Seek Out Low-Stress, Part-Time Work

If you just want to stay active and in touch with other people, look for low-stress work with light responsibility. Here are some of the most popular part-time jobs for retirees: retail positions, call centre jobs, administration, accounting, tutors, childcare services and software developers.

Work as a Temp

Temporary jobs can be an opportunity for you to balance work with leisure. These jobs vary, but might include general labour or office jobs, including bookkeeping, customer service and data processing positions. Assignment duration can range between one day and several weeks.

Give Back

A number of retirees want jobs that allow them to give something back to the world. These jobs tend to pay very little and might include teaching, tutoring, or working at daycare centres. Many retirees enjoy volunteer positions in non profit organizations with a cause that they hold dear to their hearts. You can keep busy, meet tonnes of people, learn and make a difference too.

Good luck with your search,